Change the Question

I have been thinking about blogging this idea for awhile. "So," you may ask, "what has kept you from it?" If you were to ask that question, you are already ahead of me. Sometimes we get stuck because we either stop asking questions OR we ask the wrong question. There are all kinds of applications to life, but I want to focus these few lines on our churches. Not long ago, I had a conversation with someone about some issues in that person's home church. Here are the some of the questions they were asking: Why are people leaving our church ... How can we get those that left to come back ... What's the problem? Now, I am not suggesting that those are not legitimate questions. I am suggesting there is a question that is more powerful. Why would anyone want to come to our church? That question is not a criticism (unless we can't come up with a single answer for it). It is a way of refocusing. Here are some other ways to ask the same question: What do we have to offer ... What do we do well ... What are our strengths ... What sets us apart ... How is God "showing up" in our church? You see, this is not just a powerful question for a struggling church. This is even a powerful question for a growing church. Imagine what we might learn if we asked a new church member, "What drew you to our church?" Do you think it might empower our people if they heard that their lives and ministry investment actually impacted someone's life in a positive way? Do you think it might help us know how to be good stewards of our resources if we found out what ministries are truly having an impact (and maybe which ones aren't)? Do you think it might assist in the assimilation process if new members saw themselves as valuable resources to help the church expand its ministries rather than new blood (and money) to support current ministries? What questions do you want to ask? What's keeping you from asking them?

Kingdom-Focused Vision

BF and AF are new markers in my historical timeline. Since the electrical fire that destroyed our Harvest Baptist Association Mission Center on July 11, many conversations now reference things before the fire and after the fire. One thing that is not fire-related is my conviction that we are to be focused on the Kingdom of God and that we should celebrate Kingdom-focused vision whenever it shows up. In the past week, I have seen two examples of Kingdom-focused vision at work. Our New Church/Mission Starting Team met last week with the pastor of a new church plant, Country Church in Runaway Bay. This new church has been blessed with the gift of a church building and six acres of land (debt free). The gift came from a non-denominational church that had ceased to be viable, but had a kingdom vision that extended beyond their own life cycle. The local congregation no longer exists, but the kingdom-focused vision carries on through the birthing of a new congregation that will be a participating member of HBA. A few days later, a representative group from our Executive Ministry Team met with a group of leaders from Primera Iglesia Bautista in Decatur. We met in the building that is being given (debt free) to this growing congregation by another congregation that had completed its life cycle and was no longer viable. Primera now has room to continue to grow and expand. Their vision is to grow in that current location and to start new missions and ministries ... and to use their former facilities to bless another ministry, continuing the Kingdom-focused vision that has been a blessing to them. The purpose of our meeting was to facilitate their becoming a participating member congregation of HBA. Two struggling congregations reached the end of their life cycle with assets that could either be divided up and sold off OR could be invested in the Kingdom of God. They chose the latter. So what can we learn from this? Probably many things, but the number one lesson for me is this--missions, ministries, programs, and congregations all have a life span. The Kingdom of God is eternal. A vision that is Kingd0m-focused enables us to see beyond the life span and invest in eternity. Where is your vision focused?

Got Life? - Vision, Part 5

This is the final posting on the mission, values, and vision statements posted on the Mission Wall at the HBA Mission Center. Our final statement of vision is ...

Life-sharing congregations that are seeking to live out the Christ-life tangibly.

I am convince that, of all the things we do as Christ-followers, the driving purpose of our lives is to demonstrate the character of Jesus Christ in all we do and say. There is an old saying that says, "You are the only Jesus some people will ever see." While I hope we are not the ONLY Jesus people see, we may be the representation of Christ that determines whether or not they are interested in seeing any more of Him. So, here's the crucial question ... when they look at us, do they see more of us or more of Him? The Apostle Paul said it this way,

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me." (Galatians 2:20, NASB)

In our congregations, are we individually and collectively seeking to live out the Christ-life in a way that tangibly displays His character? Or are we doing our own thing and asking Him to bless it? Are our congregations sharing life or making statements? At the association level, what can we do to encourage one another to be life-sharing Christ-followers? Got life? Share it!

How's Your Focus? - Vision, Part 4

Remember your last vision exam? "Cover your right eye and read the lowest line you can on the chart ... now your left ... good!" If you are like me, a time came in your life when your vision began to need some correction to see clearly. The focus was not what it once was. (We won't mention anything about that being a sign of aging). Whatever the cause, the remedy is proper focus and the doctor has a prescription for helping us focus properly based on his or her expertise and training in the science of sight. So, can the vision of our churches get out of focus? Absolutely! How does it happen? My own personal bias is that it happens when a church gets too focused on ... are you ready for this ... the church! That's right, focusing on the church gets the church out of focus. What are WE going to do? Who are WE trying to reach? What is OUR ministry plan? What are OUR resources? Congregational vision statement number four on the mission wall at the HBA Mission Center says that we have a vision of ...

Kingdom focused congregations that recognize that the kingdom agenda of God extends beyond personal, congregational, associational, or denominational agendas.

Now that doesn't mean that what God is doing in one's personal life is not important. Nor does it mean that congregational, associational, and denominational visions and missions are passe. (I certainly don't want anyone to think that I am ready to bail on associational or denominational ministry--especially since God placed me here in HBA for this season of my ministry). What I mean is that we need eyes to see where God is at work in the world and where He might be inviting us to join Him ... are you ready for this ... even if it didn't originate in our yard. Jesus said it this way, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33, NASB). During the 20 years I served as a pastor, I developed a simple philosophy ... if I would focus on the kingdom and keep a kingdom vision always before the church, the Lord Jesus Christ would take care of needs of this congregation. I am convinced that He did and I am convinced that He does. So, how's your focus?

Competitive or Complementary - Vision, Part 3

How much do you resemble your parents? Do you have your mom's nose? Your dad's chin? How about bone structure? Or personality and temperament? Do you demonstrate their values and character qualities? When people look at you, do they observe anything about your heritage? How can people see what God is like? Certainly, they look to the Scriptures and to the person of Christ. But what is the first thing they see? They see the visible representation of Christ in the world - the Body of Christ. They see the Church. And sometimes we bear little resemblance to our Father! We may give a distorted view in many ways, but one of the most common (in my opinion) is in operating in isolated independence. In one of my previous blogs in highlighting the vision statements on the mission wall of the HBA Mission Center, I talked about our vision of autonomous congregations. A common misperception is that autonomous = independent. I don't believe an "independent" congregation is a New Testament congregation. A simple reading of the book of Acts and the letters of Paul should quickly dispel that myth. A congregation my be self-determining of its course under the direction of the Holy Spirit, but no congregation is self-sufficient. Even if a congregation has the resources to function without the assistance of other congregations, there is one thing an individual congregation cannot do ... BE the Body of Christ. Hence, our third congregational vision statement:

Interdependent congregations that are committed to voluntarily and cooperatively doing life and ministry together.

How does your congregation view other congregations? Are you suspicious of their methods and motives? Do you secretly envy their successes? Are you unconcerned toward their struggles? How much time does your congregation spend praying for other congregations who are co-laborers for the sake of the gospel in our communities? How are you joining with other congregations to present the reality of Christ and to be His hands and feet to lost people ... hurting people ... broken people ... ignorant people ... even rebellious people? You see, there are not multiple Bodies of Christ. There is one. And we present a fractured witness when we operate in a competitive way rather than a complementary way. The difference? Competitive is focusing attention on our methods as the right way. Complementary is focusing attention on the sovereign work of God in the world and using our methods and unique gift mix to cooperate in that work. Don't misunderstand me, I am talking about the ministry methods and unique gift mix of each local congregation as being complementary. I am not talking about a wide and unclear theology that distorts the clear message of the gospel. We just need to be sure that our "theological" issues really are based in absolute truth rather than in preferred terminology. The reality is that we need each other. Not because we cannot function separately, but because we should not function separately and present a divided Christ to the world. It seems to me that the association is uniquely poised to assist congregations in operating interdependently by focusing attention on how we can unite our hearts and hands to impact our communities with the reality of Christ. How can we assist you in being an effective member of the Body?

Fad or Foundation? - Vision, Part 2

I can't remember when I first heard the word. I know it has been within the last 3-4 years. I also don't know for sure who said it first. What I do know is that I am hearing it a lot now, with both positive and negative reactions. The word? Missional. I know it probably has an "official" meaning. I also know that people respond to it based on their understanding of that "official" definition. I also know that it has become a label for a certain kind of congregation and I REALLY DON'T LIKE LABELS (missional, attractional, contemporary, traditional, blended, ...). However, I REALLY DO LIKE the word missional. Or I should say I like it the way I define it. My definition is expressed in the second congregational vision statement on the Mission Wall at the HBA Mission Center.

Missional congregations that are on mission to make Christ known in their communities and beyond.

I have been a part of congregations that described themselves as mission-minded (and that is a good thing, by the way). What that means sometimes is that they are committed to giving great prayer and financial support to our "missionaries". One of the hallmarks of Southern Baptist history and practice is our cooperative mission work. We have been the greatest missionary sending entity in the history of Christianity. However, Jesus didn't simply call us to pray and write checks. He called us to pray, to give, and to go. Sometimes that means to go to the other side of the world. Sometimes it means to go to the other side of town. Sometimes it means to go to the other side of the room. Always it means to move from being mission-minded to being on-mission. That is why the role of the association is not to "promote missions" among our congregations, but to assist churches in fulfilling the mission to which they have been called. That means that any congregation--regardless of their worship style ... or organizational structure ... or history ... or ministry plan--can be a missional congregation. If the "official" definition drives you, it might be fad. If you are mission-driven, it is foundation.

Two Down, ?? to Go!

I should have blogged this yesterday, but my plate was too full to add one other task. (By the way, who would have thought just 3 or 4 years ago that there would be such a verb as "blogged"? It actually sounds a little messy). Anyway ... Two years ago yesterday, I began my ministry as Director of Missions of Harvest Baptist Association. My first day on the job was a Sunday and I began by visiting the First Baptist Church in Boyd for the (very spiritual) reason that it was close to my home and I knew where it was. Two years and 47,000 miles later (yes, that is how many miles I have put on my Kia in the past two years) I have finally been to all 62 HBA churches. There are still a couple that I haven't been there for Sunday morning worship, but I have been to all of them for something. Some I have been to on several occasions. In many of them, I have had the privilege of preaching, leading in worship, or singing special (hopefully) music. A few months ago, I sang at the funeral of the mother of one of my close friends. When her pastor read her obituary, he mentioned that she grew up in Montague, went to school in Saint Jo, and graduated from High School in Nocona. As I listened, it amused me that I didn't even know where those places were two years ago. Now, they are a part of my life. Two years ago, I left a pastorate that I loved and only left because God made it abundantly clear that it was His will. Two years later, I stand amazed at the grace He has shown in allowing me to be part of what He is doing in HBA. Two years ago, I worked IN a system. I led (and sometimes pushed) ministries based on the vision and passion God had given me. Now I work ON a system, channeling my passion into assisting congregations with the agenda God has given them and seeking to foster a cooperative and interdependent ministry focus among those congregations. I don't measure success by what someone sees God doing in my visible ministries, but by what someone sees God doing through the ministries of our churches. Today, I heard that a crew from FBC Chico was at work building a ramp for a person in need. I found out about the need last week and sent out an email asking for someone to respond. I didn't know that anyone had taken on that project until it was already in process. Today, God is getting the glory. That may be one of my favorite parts of this ministry ... sharing a need and watching God move. I just want to say thanks to God and to each person who is a part of HBA for allowing me to be your partner in ministry and mission. We've got two years behind us and I am planning and praying for a whole lot more ahead.

And One to Grow On - Wisconsin, Day 3

Does the title of this post bring back memories for you? Unless you had most of your birthdays in the previous century, it probably didn't. If you don't know what I am talking about, I'll leave it to your imagination. We are packing to check out of the hotel, go pick up some Wisconsin cheese, have one final lunch with the DOM of BLBA before we fly out for home this afternoon. Yesterday was a cool and rainy day, so hopefully all the people who complained about the sweltering 80 degrees the day before were more comfortable. One of the pastors (newly elected to our Partnership Planning Group) picked us up at the hotel and drove us to Manitowoc to look at a possible new location for the only Southern Baptist Church there. New Beginnings Baptist Church is about 4 years old. It began in a living room and has been in its current rented facility for about 3 years. They have completely outgrown the building that is only about 1000 square feet (for the entire building). They have about 500 sf for worship space and are already plateaued because there is no more room for worship, a nursery about the size of a restaurant booth, and restroom/storage room/library combination. The church has been trying to find new space for almost a year and has even been in process of trying to purchase a couple of buildings and both have fallen through. Understandably, they are getting discouraged. A couple of weeks ago part of a building next door to their current facility came available for rent. The landlord of that space is their current landlord. We met there yesterday and talked about how the space might be configured for their use. That space would increase their worship space and allow them space for two classrooms, office, nursery, and welcome center. None of the interior walls are load-bearing, and the landlord has given them permission to tear out walls and build new ones in whatever configuration works for them. And, as of our meeting yesterday, he has agreed to a rental cost for the first two years that will actually be less than what they are paying now and will give them almost double the space. As Jerry Clower used to say, "Ain't God good!" Sorry about the Jerry Clower reference for those of you who didn't get "one to grow on". There are a few details to iron out, but it looks like this church will be gaining some much added space. They even have first option on the adjacent space in the same building that is currently occupied by a resale shop. If that were to be available, it would provide a great worship space that would easily allow the church to double in size. It is more than they could handle financially right now, but we will be in prayer that the new space will allow them to grow to the point that they could handle the financial increase. God has been directing this trip in ways that we didn't anticipate, but I believe some good groundwork has been laid. Please pray with us about what happens next.

Getting to Know You - Wisconsin, Day 2

Thursday was "Meeting" Day and it was a hot one. At least the folks from Wisconsin thought so. Every place we went people commented on the temperature. Even the local news channel commented on how it was about 10 degrees above normal for this time of year. The sweltering temperature? 80. With hardly any humidity. Ron and I would have been dancing in the streets if we hadn't been Baptists! We began the day's agenda with a two hour meeting of BLBA pastors. They have this meeting every month and call it their monthly pastor mentoring meeting. What they do is mentor each other. They sometimes study a book together and discuss it. They always pray together about their personal needs, the needs of their churches, and the association. For some of them, this meeting each month is the only contact they have with another pastor. When you are truly isolated, you realize how important those relationships are. Eight of their pastors were present. There are currently only 19 pastors in this 26 county association, so it was a pretty good representation. I would love to see that percentage of our 57 current pastors at our monthly pastor/staff prayer luncheon (that would be 24 if my math is correct). After the prayer time, Dennis Hansen (BLBA DOM) asked me to share about the partnership. I told them how God had put the pieces in place going back to Henry Blackaby challenging me to pray about God's plan for my ministry in August '08, meeting Steve Melvin (Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention) and Dan Casper (BLBA) in October '08, hearing about the BLBA Vision Tour in Jan '09, and my first trip to Wisconsin in June '09. We spent time talking, discussing, answering questions, enjoying each other's company, laughing together, and just getting to know each other as brothers in Christ and potential kingdom partners. We gained a new appreciation for their concerns that (1) people from Texas would come and try to tell them how to do their ministry and (2) people from Texas would come and do things for them and their churches would become dependent. So, part of our conversation was about how we could keep those things from happening. I believe it was truly a fruitful meeting and we are beginning to put some things in place that will bear longterm fruit for the health of both associations and the benefit of all our churches. After enjoying lunch with several of the pastors, we went back for the second meeting of the day. This one was with the administrative team of BLBA. During that meeting, we talked about some financial arrangements that are being made in both associations and BLBA elected three people to serve on the Partnership Planning Group (along with the three that have been elected from HBA). Again, a fruitful meeting that lasted until mid-afternoon. Ron and I drove back to Green Bay and did a little more driving exploration around town. We found the downtown area, drove across one of the drawbridges that crosses the river, and even found a "Beach" Park on the Bay that had a little amusement park with rides, go-carts, a wildlife sanctuary, picnic area, etc. Should one of our churches bring a youth group up here for ministry next summer, it could be a cool place to spend part of a day. The reason "Beach" was in quotations is because the word was in the name, but there was no beach to be seen, unless the word is defined as the grassy, weedy area next to the water. So, my day two reflections go this way. In my 20 years as a pastor, I had quite a few times when the Lord had given me a vision for ministry. I thought about it and prayed about it and spent a lot of time on it for days ... weeks ... sometimes months. When I shared my excitement with the church, the response was often less than enthusiastic. It was not necessarily opposition, they just couldn't be as excited as I was because they hadn't spent all the time thinking and praying about it and they couldn't see it like I saw it. I think it is the same with this partnership both in HBA and in BLBA. We have a couple of DOMs who are pumped. We have spent months thinking, praying, dreaming and (sometimes) forgetting that those we work with haven't been in on all that. That realization helped me explain things to the pastors yesterday because they know what that experience is like. It is a great reminder that the Lord's work is always about people. It is always carried out in relationships. Getting to know one another and trust one another is not preliminary to ministry. It is part of the ministry. I can't wait to see what God is going to do next.

What is a Baptist? - Wisconsin, Day 1

I intended to blog last night but was too tired by the time we got back to our hotel. Yesterday was a long day. Got up at 4:00 a.m. so I could meet Ron Johnson at DFW Airport for our flight up to Wisconsin to meet with pastors and other church and association leaders from Bay Lakes Baptist Association. We landed in Green Bay shortly before 1:00 p.m, got our rental car and drove to our hotel, stopping for lunch along the way. After checking into the hotel, we drove over to Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers (for those who are uninformed about such things) so Ron could do some shopping at the pro shop for his Packers-fan son. After that, we explored the area as we drove over to Appleton, where the BLBA office is located. We had time to find the downtown area of Appleton and then drove along a really nice stretch of the Fox River. Grabbed a bite to eat and then headed over to the BLBA office for our first meeting of this trip. In the meeting with us were the BLBA Director of Missions, along with one of the pastors in the association and three members from his church. The pastor had asked for this meeting for us to clarify some things for them about our fledgling partnership and to help them understand some things about Southern Baptists and missions. This church began as a non-denominational church and most of their members have no experience with the SBC. The church sought affiliation with the SBC and BLBA in 2007 and are still new in this journey. We had a great dialogue that included an unexpected question. One of the men in the church asked, "So, what is a Baptist?" I expected questions about the benefits of being a part of our denomination or about Baptist mission opportunities or even about what Baptists believe. I don't know that I have ever been asked, "What is a Baptist?" I won't go into the whole answer. With two DOMs going, it turned into quite a discussion and it may have actually been beneficial to everyone in the room. What really stuck in my mind was the conversation Ron and I had on our 30 minute drive back to our hotel in Green Bay. How many people in our Baptist churches in Texas--some of whom have been Baptists their whole lives--couldn't answer that question? How many of them would like to ask that question sometimes but are afraid to? It was actually refreshing to have someone be willing to ask the question that was really on his mind. I wonder ... have we given people the idea that the church is a place you go to hear someone tell you things--making pronouncements, prescribing beliefs and behavior and discouraging questions that are not on the agenda? Or is the church a group of people on a journey of discovering what it means to have a real, vital, growing relationship with the One who is the Truth? A group of people who will ask questions and who dig into God's word together and pray together for the Spirit of the Living God to interpret His word to shape their lives as Christ-followers? Let us not be afraid of questions or of those who ask them. We may not know all the answers, but we can go with them to the One who does.

Who's the Boss - Vision, Part 1

Who's the boss? Who calls the shots? Who decides? Who's in charge? Common questions in almost every arena of life ... even in the church. Different denominations handle those issues in different ways. Since I became Director of Missions of HBA, I have been amused to hear some folks describe my job as being "in charge of 62 churches". Boy, do they have that wrong! And not just from a practical standpoint (as if anyone COULD be in charge of 62 Southern Baptist Churches), but also from a ecclesiological standpoint (I have to throw in a seminary word once in awhile just so you know I went). In other words, it is not just a question of could an individual be in charge of multiple congregations, but also of should an individual be in charge of multiple congregations. To use a lesser known seminary phrase ... that just ain't right! You see, that is not what the association is about. I spent several weeks highlighting the Values statements on the Mission Wall of the HBA Mission Center. For the next few weeks I want to highlight the final poster on the wall ... the one that says Our Vision. Not only do we need values to drive the ministries of the association, we should also have a common vision of what a cooperating congregation looks like. So here is statement #1.

Autonomous congregations that are determining their own course, values, and mission under the direction of the Holy Spirit and submitted to the Lorship of Jesus Christ.

Who gets to tell a local congregation what their mission and ministry should look like? The Director of Missions? The president of the SBC? No and no. The pastor? Afraid not. So who's in charge? Well, let's break the statement down a little: Autonomous - that word means self-governing. In other words, no one outside the local congregation gets to set the agenda. Congregations - that word indicates the church gathered. In other words, no one individual inside the local congregations gets to set the agenda. Determining their own course, values, and mission - that phrase means that this congregation is on a journey of mission and ministry together that is unique to this particular congregation. So that means that they get to do whatever is right in their own eyes, right? Nope. We stopped reading too soon. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit - that phrase means that this unique course, values, and mission will be birthed through much prayer, seeking God, searching the heart of God as revealed in His word, and observing how He is moving in the world. The Spirit of the Living God is the director. And one final phrase ... submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. There's the answer to the original questions. He's the boss. He calls the shots. He decides. He's in charge. So where do the association and the DOM come in? Tell me where God is leading you and then we can talk about how we can assist you in getting there.

Mission Possible - Values, Part 6

We can't develop a mission partnership. We can't go on a mission trip. We can't be involved in church planting. We don't have enough money ... people ... resources ... Those statements probably reflect the sentiment of a lot of churches. They know the need, but just can't see past last week's offering total and attendance record. The current difficult economy has only accentuated the tendency to pull back, to close ranks, to focus on "our" needs. So, how can the association assist with that? How do we help and encourage each other? The final values statement on the Mission Wall at the HBA Mission Center says:

Missions Training: Assisting our congregations to become missional congregations through opportunities for direct missions involvement, mission partnerships, and planting new congregations.

"Missional" is a kind of a buzzword right now. Some people would tell you that it has a specific definition. Maybe it does, but I like to look at it this way: A mission-minded congregation believes in the importance of missions. A mission-minded congregation collects missions offerings and prays for missionaries. A missional congregation does those things, but also has a strong sense of being on mission for God. A missional congregation has a mission from God to fulfill. A missional congregation is active in seeking to fulfill that mission. A missional congregation is not satisfied with maintaining, but is moving forward intentionally to penetrate the lostness and brokenness of the world. How we can assist one another in the association is by providing opportunities for churches to get involved in Great Commission ministry through looking beyond the local congregation. This may be in partnering with another congregation in a mission/ministry project within our associational area. This may be in taking advantage of the opportunities that our partnership with Bay Lakes Baptist Association in Wisconsin will provide through mission trips and projects and prayer partnerships. This may be in providing prayer support, financial support, or resource support for a new work in our area ... in Wisconsin ... in some other place in the world. We have adopted an associational goal of having every HBA congregation invovled in partnership missions and with a new church plant somewhere in the world by October 2013. We won't tell any congregation what that partnership involvement should look like. The Lord will direct. Our role is to encourage one another to focus on the words of Jesus that inspired the name and formation of Harvest Baptist Association in 2002.

"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."

(Matthew 9:37-38)

How can we assist you to see the world through His eyes?

Sharpening the Saw - Values, Part 5

Bill and George went into the forest to cut firewood. They felled a tall pine tree and began sawing it into useable fireplace logs. Bill worked non-stop all day, trying to get as many logs as he could before sundown. At several times during the day, he glanced across the clearing and saw George sitting down taking a break. As twilight approached, he finally gathered his tools and walked over to where George was stacking his logs. Much to his surprise, George's stack was considerably larger than his. He couldn't believe it! How had George been able to get so much work done with all those breaks he took? His curiosity had to be satisfied, so he just asked George how he did it. "Simple," George said. "Every time I sat down to take a break, I sharpend my saw." You've probably heard that little parable before. But it is worth repeating. We Baptists tend to have a good work ethic. And because of that, we sometimes think if we just work a little harder or a little longer we will get the results we are looking for. How about working smarter instead of harder ... or working better instead of longer? The 5th value stated on the Mission Wall of the HBA Mission Center reads:

Ministry Training: Facilitating opportunities for Christ-followers to grow in specific knowledge and skills necessary for effective ministry.

Sometimes we have enough basic knowledge and skills to do certain things. Sometimes we just need the opportunity to step back from the work and sharpen our saws. That may mean a one-day workshop. It may mean a conversation with a coach. It may mean spending a part of a day with a mentor. It may mean a multi-day training conference. Many possibilities exist. The association cannot provide every kind of training possible, but we can facilitate opportunities by providing some within our own area ... identifying some that are provided by other associations, conventions, and organizations ... assisting ministry leaders in obtaining training ... the possibilities are many. The bottom line is that we want to assist one another in sharpening our saws for maximum kingdom effectiveness.

A Church Without Walls - Values, Part 4

Have you ever heard a church building referred to as the church-house? "Well, we went down to a meetin' at th' church house." Do you think you might be a redneck if that is what you call it? Actually, redneck as it sounds, you might be theologically correct. As we continue highlighting our core values as posted on the Mission Wall at the HBA Mission Center, the next value reads ...

Community Impact: Motivating the church to get outside the walls of the church-house to be the church in the community.

One way the Body of Christ has missed the mark is in referring to a building as the church. The New Testament never uses the word church in reference to a building, but in reference to a congregation or assembly of believers. The church is the people. It is not something you go to or have, but something you are a part of. You can't be a part of a building unless you are a brick (I won't make any brick-head comments. You can insert your own joke). One of the ways the association seeks to assist our churches is in helping to focus the church on being the church. Instead of trying to figure out how to get the community to come into a building (the church-house), we need to help each congregation focus on how to be the church (the visible representation of Jesus Christ) in the community. I am not anti-building. I am anti-edifice obsession. Churches are not built from wood, steel, brick and mortar. Churches are built with grace, truth, holiness, and compassion. A building is no more than a gathering place. Stained glass, steeples, pulpits, organs ... none of these make Christ real in the community. It is only what happens inside those buildings that motivates something to happen outside those buildings that determines whether the building is truly a church-house. Let's join together to pray that Christ is preeminently proclaimed inside our church-houses so that the church can get outside the walls and display in our communities the reality of who He is.

Living Inside-Out - Values, Part 3

After a week off for Spring Break, I return to the values statements on our Mission Wall at the HBA Mission Center. Value number 3 ...

Spiritual Formation: Calling one another to grow in personal and experiential knowledge of Jesus Christ.

So much of what we do in the church is action-oriented. We try to take seriously the Bibilcal admonition to "be doers of the word and not hearers only" (James 1:22). However, if we are not careful, we run the risk of becoming utilitarian Christians--using the Bible as an instruction manual for doing the Christian life--rather than Christ-followers who interact with God's inspired recorded self-revelation and who are being continually formed in the image of the ultimate self-revelation of God: the Word made flesh (Romans 8:29; John 1:14). So, as a missional network of congregations, we should not ask the singular question, "What would Jesus do?" in fulfilling our ministry strategies. We should also ask, "What is Jesus doing/forming in our lives that informs and inspires new ministry strategies?" It was my own asking of that question that led me to the issue of values in the first place. So, let us consistently and intentionally ask one another, "What is Jesus doing in your life and in your congregation?"

Checking our Equip-ment - Values, Part 2

No, the title of this blog doesn't have an accidental hyphen. As we continue with our highlighting of our Mission Wall at the HBA Mission Center, I want to point out the second of the value statements ...

Leadership Development: Facilitating opportunities for multiplying equipped disciples of Jesus Christ.

A characteristic common to almost every congregation is a shortage of leaders. How many times have I heard a pastor say, "God has put this ministry on my heart, but we just don't have anyone to lead it and I can't lead something else." Sure, there are the positional leaders (staff, deacons, teachers, committee chairs, Sunday School directors, etc) that have been chosen by some process of election/selection within the congregation. But what about honest-to-goodness disciples of Jesus Christ who are equipped to disciple others? Listen to the apostle Paul ...

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13, NIV, emphasis mine)

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Timothy 2:2, NIV, emphasis mine)

Where are those leaders? My conviction is that those leaders are already in our churches. They just haven't been equipped yet. Our issue is not a shortage of leaders. Our issue is a gap in our equip-ment (our equipping process). So, where does the association come in? As an association, we can focus on programs and events that train people to do certain tasks (some of which they have been doing for decades), or we can focus on identifying resources and facilitating opportunities that assist our churches in equipping equippers. How I long for the day that I hear a pastor say, "We have so many equipped disciples of Jesus Christ that new ministries are popping up everywhere because God is inspiring passionate equipped disciples of Jesus Christ." Don't you think that is a value worth pursuing?

We are in this Together - Values, Part 1

As I continue this week in pointing out some of the statements you will read on the Mission Wall in the HBA Mission Center, I want to begin focusing on a list entitled, Our Values. One might ask about the origin of this list of values. I will be honest, the list came out of a prayer when I came to HBA in 2008. I had been on board about two months when I asked the Lord to show me what He wanted me to focus on and pour my energy and passion into. What He impressed on my mind and heart was that I shouldn't focus on activities and events, but on the values that would determine what kind of ministries might be developed. A list of six values came out of this time of prayer and seeking the Lord. I will highlight them one at a time for the next six weeks. The first statement on the list ...

Fellowship: Building trusting and supportive relationships for Kingdom purposes.

Now, when Baptists talk fellowship, we often think of food. While food and friends sometimes accompany fellowship, there is nothing particularly Christian about eating and visiting. What we are talking about is building community within the association family. Note the words trusting and supportive. If HBA is truly going to be a missional community of cooperative congregations, we have to know each other. We have different methodolgies and passions, but as we share this journey together, we will support and trust one another for the sake of fulfilling the Lord's Kingdom purposes. Let us not isolate into individual congregations whose only overlap is that we use some of the same resources and send money to the same address. Let us network together, trusting one another, and supporting one another for the sake of the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Assisting, Not Enlisting

Last week's blog addressed the strategic language rationale for calling our building in Decatur the Mission Center instead of the office. For the next few weeks I want to highlight some of the components on what I refer to as the Mission Wall in the Mission Center. As you enter the front door of the Mission Center and step into the reception area, you would notice a wall to your right with several framed statements. One of them says,

Harvest Baptist Association exists for the purpose of assisting our partner congregations, individually and collectively, in fulfilling the Great Commission. Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV), Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

The Mission Wall reinforces the mission of the association. Our partner congregations are called to the Great Commission. The association does not enlist congregations to "help with" or "participate in" association activities. The association exists to assist these congregations in fulfilling their mission. In other words, the organizational methodology is assisting, not enlisting. So, the question of the week is, "How may we assist you in fulfilling you mission?"

Strategically Speaking - The Mission Center

Since I came on board as Director of Missions of HBA, I have started using some different terminology that sometimes causes confusion. The building at 603 N. Business 287 is most commonly referred to as the association or HBA office. I refer to it as the Mission Center. As a result of that, sometimes people have gone to the wrong location for a meeting. I really don't take wicked pleasure in confusing people (I promise). The motivation behind it is to speak and think strategically--by that I mean to look at the desired result and cast the vision over and over until the message gets first into the eyes and ears, then into the mind, and finally into the DNA of the organization. So, now I say that association staff members have offices in the association Mission Center. Harvest Baptist Association is not a building. It is a missional network of cooperating congregations who are connected by the MISSION of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. An office is a place for work, for meetings, for decisions. Those things are all necessary components of what we do, but the mission is our heartbeat. The mission is our center. The mission is why we go to our offices. The Mission Center should be a visible reminder of the mission for every person who walks through the doors. It may not have reached DNA level yet, but we are on the way.

On Mission

Got word from one of our HBA Churches today that they voted yesterday to be missional in their approach. Now, the word "missional" wasn't used in the meeting, nor was there a motion for the church to become something new. What happened was that they voted to take two actions. The first is to add much-needed space to their small facilities. This congregation of about 50 people is almost at the capacity of their current meeting space. They also voted to begin monthly financial support of a sister congregation in need as a part of our partnership with Bay Lakes Baptist Association in northeastern Wisconsin. Here's where the missional mindset shows up. For their building, they voted to begin the process of planning and of exploring what their financial resources might be and to build when the resources are there. For the financial support of a sister congregation, they put a dollar figure--a very generous one for a congregation their size--with no end date specified. In other words, they are on mission for the sake of the kingdom of God first and for their own needs second. They could easily have said, "Let's see what resources we have for missions after we get our building done." Rather, they said, "Let's see what resources we have for building after we fulfill our mission calling." Missional. On mission from God. Just one example, but a good one. What's your church's story? I'd love to share it here.